IVP Readers' Choice Award What am I committing to when I say I want to follow Jesus? Using the Great Commission to explore the mission to make disciples as well as the core characteristics that identify us as Jesus' followers, this guide lays the foundation for a life in Christ. Following the popular and effective design of his curriculum Discipleship Essentials that sold over 250,000 copies, Greg Ogden has included the following elements in each of the eight sessions: a core truth a Bible study a reading life application Whether you are mentoring one-on-one or in a small group, this essential guide will serve as an ideal on-ramp into the discipleship journey.

The Reformation restored the Scriptures to the people, but the job was only halfway finished. Today the church is awakening to the truth that ministry is not just the domain of clergy, but belongs to the entire body of Christ. God is moving her to complete her unfinished business of placing the ministry back in the hands of the people. Unfinished Business has played a pivotal part in helping the church reclaim ministry at the grassroots level. First published in 1990 as The New Reformation, it has become a classic resource for church life. Expanding on and updating the original material with fresh examples and references to eight key important movements, this new edition lays foundations for the church to move from: . Passive to active . Maintenance to mission . Clergy to people of God . Teacher/caregiver to equipping enabler Pointing us back to the church as an organism, not an institution, author Greg Ogden shows how each of us is called to help finish the Reformation s unfinished business: expressing the priesthood of every believer practically in the church, the world, and all avenues of life."

Is it really possible to live out the Great Commandment? When an expert in the law asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, Jesus gave a clear and simple answer: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." But what does the Great Commandment look like on the ground, in our day-to-day lives? And can we even come close to living it out? Jesus, Greg Ogden believes, has a simple answer to that too. He writes, "Jesus didn't follow the Great Commandment] up by saying, 'I know I'm asking a lot, but do the best you can. I know you'll never fully approximate this high and lofty goal, but it's still worth striving for.' . . . Jesus thinks this is possible." And with Jesus, Ogden has found, it is possible--and essential. In this practical, in-depth handbook, Ogden draws from his years of pastoral experience training and discipling others to help us truly be changed by Christ into people who love God and love others with all that we are. Following the format of his bestselling Discipleship Essentials, each chapter includes a core truth a memory verse an inductive Bible study a reading on one aspect of the Great Commandment Thoughtful questions will also help you examine your heart and life and move you to open yourself to God's transforming work. Above all, Ogden helps you see that the Great Commandment is actually a great invitation to join God in bringing his kingdom to earth. And as you learn to do so, you'll find that the greatest commandment leads to the greatest life possible.

We grow in Christ as we seek him together. Jesus' own pattern of disciple-making was to be intimately involved with others and allow life to rub against life. By gathering in twos or threes to study the Bible and encourage one another, we most closely follow Jesus' example with the twelve disciples. The workbook you hold is a tool designed to help you follow this pattern Jesus drew for us. Working through it will deepen your knowledge of essential Christian teaching and strengthen your faith.....Greg Ogden (D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary) is executive pastor of discipleship at Christ Church of Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Illinois. Previously he was academic director of the doctor of ministry program and associate professor of lay equipping and discipleship at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Prior to that he was a pastor for twenty-three years with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He is also the author of Leadership Essentials and Transforming Discipleship.

Con el deseo de que la iglesia crezca, muchos de nuestros lideres siempre estan pendientes de las ultimas estrategias evangelisticas. No obstante, si en nuestras iglesias no hay crecimiento, quiza no sea porque no nos preocupamos de las personas nuevas, sino porque no estamos discipulando a los miembros de forma eficaz. Muchas veces nuestras iglesias no tienen un plan coherente de discipulado y los lideres creen que no tienen los suficientes recursos para animar a sus miembros a ser verdaderos seguidores de Cristo. Greg Odgen habla de la necesidad del discipulado en las iglesias locales y recupera el modelo de Jesus: invertir en un grupo pequeno de personas para que sus vidas sean transformadas y que asi puedan ayudar a otros a caminar hacia la madurez en Cristo. Odgen habla mucho de la transformacion; no solo de la transformacion de los discipulos, sino tambien del mismo concepto de discipulado. Segun el, el discipulado deberia convertirse en un proceso que se pueda transmitir y que asi tenga un impacto a traves de las generaciones. Biblico, practico y enormemente eficaz, este enfoque en el discipulado ya se ha usado con mucho exito en cientos de iglesias en los Estados Unidos y tambien en Europa. Un discipulado que transforme vidas puede ayudar a tu iglesia a transformar la vida de sus miembros."

We grow in Christ as we seek him together. Jesus' own pattern of disciple-making was to be intimately involved with others and allow life to rub against life. By gathering in twos or threes to study the Bible and encourage one another, we most closely follow Jesus' example with the twelve disciples. This workbook by Greg Ogden is a tool designed to help you follow this pattern Jesus drew for us. Working through it will deepen your knowledge of essential Christian teaching and strengthen your faith. Each week contains the following elements: a core truth presented in a question-and-answer format a memory verse and accompanying study a field-tested inductive Bible study a reading on the theme for the week questions to draw out key principles in the reading This material is designed for groups of three. It has also been used successfully as an individual study program, a one-on-one discipling tool, and small group curriculum. This expanded and completely updated edition includes a new guide for leaders. Jesus had a big enough vision to think small. Focusing on a few did not limit his influence. Rather, it expanded it. Discipleship Essentials is designed to help us influence others as Jesus did-by investing in a few.

@lt;DIV@gt;This book from CLIE has already proven to be an effective tool of ministry to more than 30,000 people around the world. Using the example of Jesus' ministry, this manual demonstrates how the discipleship of just a few people can have an extended influence on many others. These lessons serve to deepen our Christian faith and, at the same time, strengthen our understanding.@lt;/div@gt;

Leadership is essential. Maybe you've shied away from leadership because you don't know what it will involve, or you feel too unsure of your own abilities. But your leadership is needed In every sector of society, from families to businesses to churches, leadership roles remain empty, waiting for people willing and able to step up and make wise decisions that bring positive change. And, in a world with priorities vastly different from Christ's, Christian leaders are especially needed to point people to him. Preparation is essential. As essential as the leadership itself is the preparation beforehand, which is why Greg Ogden, a seasoned leader himself, has created this interactive guide that will give you the tools you need to lead well, using your unique gifts and experience. Divided into four sections, this workbook will help you develop character, postures, vision and skills as you participate in the following elements in each chapter: a memory verse a Bible study a reading a leadership exercise By working through these multiple channels of learning you'll be equipped not just with head knowledge about leadership but with true character formation and awareness of your own abilities that will prepare you for the challenges and choices of leadership. Designed to work well on your own, with a partner or with a group, Leadership Essentials by Greg Ogden and Daniel Meyer is the essential preparation tool for those who would be led and shaped by Christ to lead others with strength and wisdom.

Many church leaders, yearning for church growth, look to the latest evangelistic strategies or seeker-targeted worship services. But lack of growth might not be due to lack of concern for new people-it may be because we are not effectively discipling the people we already have. Greg Ogden address the need for discipleship in the local church and recovers Jesus' method of accomplishing life change by investing in just a few people at a time. Ogden sets forth his vision for transforming both the individual disciple and discipleship itself, showing how discipleship can become a self-replicating process with ongoing impact from generation to generation. This revised and updated edition includes a new chapter on discipleship and preaching.